Of Paeans and Dirges
by Miss Annabel Lenore Ragg
Summary: In which I take a stab at one of these Shuffle Challenges, and take the characters of Sweeney Todd along for the ride. More information inside.


A/N: Yes, this is another one of those shuffle challenges that are floating around these days, but I just couldn't resist trying out for myself. Also, I thought I needed to post some new material. (Don't worry, my loves, I haven't given up on my other Fics. New chapters will be on the way as soon as I can think of a good idea.) The rules are as follows:

**Shuffle Challenge Rules:**

**1. Pick a character, fandom, pairing, friendship, whatever.**

**2. Put iTunes or your music program on shuffle and start playing songs.**

**3. For each song, write something inspired by the song related to the theme you chose earlier. You only have the song length. No pre-planning and no writing after the song is over. No skipping songs either.4. Do this for ten songs.**

Theme: Sweeney & crew. Random drabbles on random songs as well as random moments of OOC-ness.

1.) **Is There Anybody Out There ~ Pink Floyd**

Toby sat in the cold, dark asylum cell, peering into the darkness. He hadn't heard any screaming from the other inmates in over an hour. The only noises he heard now came from his own tortured mind. "Is there anybody out there?" he muttered.

2.) **Lithium ~ Evanescence**

Mrs. Lovett sat in the empty parlor with an almost empty bottle of gin in her hand. Sweeney was pacing across his shop. The same thing he did every night. She wanted him to love her so badly, but all she got were death threats. She wondered why she still loved him. Why did she put up with his torture? Deep down she wanted to stay in love with her own sorrow.

3.) **Superbeast~ Rob Zombie**

Sweeney swung his trusty straight silver straight razor against another one of his victim's throats; sending blood spurting everywhere. They could run, they could hide, they could pray to God all they wanted, but they all deserved to die. To die by the hand of the demon barber.

4.)** Jack's Lament ~ from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'**

There were few who could deny it. Sweeney Todd was the best barber in London. Able to give the closest shave you will ever know. He paced his shop back and forth, waiting for his next victim. Waiting to get his revenge on the judge. Vengeance would be so sweet. But, something seemed missing. After he killed the judge, then what? His Lucy was gone forever and Johanna would probably run off with that sailor boy. What was left for his after that?

5.)** Buried Alive ~ Creature Feature**

The closest shave you will ever know, brought to you by Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street. The other Grim Reaper. He couldn't explain the joy it gave him to cause death and destruction to the not so innocent. The scourge of the earth. All to get revenge for his 'lost Lenore'-- his once beautiful Lucy.

6.) **Liar ~ Emilie Autumn**

Sweeney had given Mrs. Lovett death threat number 26 of that day. She stomped down the stairs to her shop in a huff. She tried so hard to get him to love her, but he never would. All he thought about was his "dead" Lucy. OK, she lied, so what? He deserved it for doing this to her. She went into her shop to make dinner for him. She slyly went over to the medicine cabinet and took out a little glass vile. She put a few drops of the brown liquid into the food. This would teach him. "Are you suffering, my love? Are you suffering? I want to see your pain. Just like the pain you have inflicted on me."

7.)** Stop ~ Pink Floyd**

Sweeney sat in his dingy cell in Australia. "I want to go home."

8.) **Salvation ~ Alice Cooper**

Toby looked down at his blood stained hands. What had he done? He had killed a man. The man who had killed his mum. Any scrap of innocence he had was now gone. Was there any chance of salvation for his now? He sat there for awhile and realized that what he had done was actually a good thing. One less murderer out there. He wiped the blood off his hands and walked out of the bake house with a sly smile on his face.

9.) **Cat and Mouse ~ The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**

Mrs. Lovett was always chasing after Sweeney, but Sweeney was always chasing after his revenge. She tried to help him in his plan, but he ignored her and threatened her. She tried her best, but he just couldn't see it. She made plans for them to grow old together, but she was beginning to see that would never happen. She loved him so much. She would die for him. "I love you.", she said as she raised the bottle of arsenic to her lips.

10.)** She's in Parties ~ Bauhaus**

Benjamin Barker walked into the ball room. People in beautiful costumes danced before him. He made his way to the far corner of the hall where he saw a beautiful girl with hair as yellow as wheat. He slyly approached her. "Would-would y-you like to dance?", he stammered, looking intently into her bright blue eyes.

"I would be delighted." she said and gracefully took his hand.

* * *

So, what do you think? The hardest one to write was 'Stop' because the song is only 30 seconds long. I think I am going to do another one of these, so look for that in the future.


End file.
